Frank Fritz

In 2010, the duo became overnight sensations after the History Channel premiered "American Pickers," a reality show that followed Fritz and Wolf as they traveled across America in search of hidden treasures. During the first season, Fritz and his co-star traveled to 22 states, foraging through small, rural towns in search of old warehouses and dilapidated barns that often turned out to be goldmines packed with rare finds. Week after week, millions of viewers tuned in to watch them negotiating with various types of sellers, including serious and casual collectors, in an effort to get them to part ways with their prized possessions. Even-tempered and likeable, Fritz had an affinity for any item with an engine, particularly old Hondas, and kept his eyes peeled for resalable items like mid-century modern furniture, industrial parts, and road signs. The show also benefited from a healthy dose of comedy as a result of the genuine and easy banter between Fritz and Wolfe. In less than a year since "American Pickers" first aired, Fritz had become a bona fide reality star, appearing on various talk shows like "The Late Show with David Letterman" (CBS, 1993-2015) as well as lending his expertise on similar-themed shows such as "American Restoration" (History Channel, 2010-). Frank Fritz died on September 30, 2024 at the age of 61.